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Rasha Rakeesh SahTarna
Rasha Rakeesh SahTarna (aka Rakeesh Sah Tarna) is a Liontaur: a Centaur-like creature with the torso and arms of a human and the hindquarters, head and claws of a lion. He is also a Paladin: a warrior who gains mystical powers from his great honor. He first introduces the Hero to the concept of honor and becomes his guide in the ways of the Paladin in the city of Shapeir. Rakeesh is portrayed one of the Hero's closest friends - quite arguably, a father figure as well. Background Rakeesh comes from a long line of proud warriors.Rakeesh (QFG2) When Rakeesh was younger he once travelled to Thebes to learn the way of the Warrior. While there he met Logos, who mistook him for a Sphinx. Rakeesh would later become the ruler of his homeland of Tarna. While he was king, an army of Demons invaded from another world. Rakeesh persued Demon Wizard which led the Demons.Rakeesh (QFG2): "The Wizard turned out to be a Demon who sought through magical means to break the barriers between his world and ours.","It took many years but I at last managed to send the Demon-Wizard back to his own world." The wizard sent a Demon against Rakeesh. During the battle, he suffered an injury to one of his hind legs from it's poisoned tail.Rakeesh (QFG2): "My leg was damaged a long time ago when I tried to fight a Demon that was destroying my people. The Demon struck me with its poisoned tail.", "The Demon was sent by a Wizard who sought to overthrow my kingdom. The bone was shattered, and the poison prevented it from healing correctly.Rakeesh (QFG2): "The bone was shattered, and because of the poison, the leg did not heal correctly, even with magic. He defeated the Demon, and drove the Demons from Tarna, but did not drive them back to their own world.Rakeesh (QFG3) Rakeesh knew had not truly won, he knew that the Demons would return again when they were stronger. He could not convince the Council of Judgement to persue the Demons beyond the kingdom. He decided to forfeit the throne of Tarna to stop the Demons himself, passing it to his arrogant brother Rajah Sah Tarna.Rakeesh (QFG3) After the Demons left Tarna, he followed them north to Egypt. In the bazaar at Gaza, he met a Paladin. She came to his defense, for the people of the bizaar assumed he was a monster. He told her of his mission, and she taught him the way of the Paladin.Rakeesh (QFG3) After a great battle the Paladin passed her sword, Soulforge to Rakeesh.Uhura (QFG2): "Rakeesh won his sword in mighty battle. He call it soulforge", Rakeesh (QFG2):"I was given the sword, "Soulforge", when I first became a Paladin." Eventually he returned to Tarna, where demons attacked the city again. Rakeesh stood before the Liontaur in battle with his sword held high. The sword was bathed in blue flame. Most demons fled from him. Those who didn't were destroyed by RakeeshGate guard (QFG3)drove the Wizard back to its own world, and it swore revenge on Rakeesh.Rakeesh (QFG2): "I defeated the Demon and eventually the Wizard, but I had to give up the rule of my kingdom to my brother.", "I ruled the kingdom of Tarna, until I had to choose between ruling my people or preventing the Wizard from doing greater evil.", Kreesha Dar Asha (QFG3) The relationship between the two brothers is rather strained, though they profess to respect each other; in Quest for Glory III, Rajah is seen to scoff at Rakeesh's paladinhood and desire to help humanity. Interactions with the Hero The Way of the Paladin In Quest for Glory II, the Hero and Rakeesh meet after they are both summoned to the desert city of Shapeir to deal with a crisis in Shapeir's sister city, Raseir where he carries his flaming sword, the Soulforge. In Shapeir, Rakeesh helps run the Adventurers' Guild with his friend Uhura, the Simbani warrior woman; he also valiantly but unsuccessfully battles an Earth Elemental that attacks the city. It is here that the Hero first learns of honor and the Way of the Paladin from Rakeesh. During his stay in Shapeir, Rakeesh remains a constant source of insight and guidance for the Hero along the way. He has the choice to name the Hero as a Paladin, if he is honorful enough, and also hands him the Soulforge to succeed him. Return to Tarna After the Hero saves Shapeir and Raseir, Rakeesh and Uhura return to Tarna with the Hero in Quest for Glory III; their mission is to prevent a war that is brewing between their two peoples and the shape-shifting Leopardmen through the Pledge of Peace. Rakeesh is reunited with his wife, Kreesha, and learns their daughter, Reeshaka, is missing following a peace mission she lead that was seemingly ambushed by the Leopardmen. Rakeesh never believes she is dead, however. Rakeesh pledges on his honor to prevent war and his oath is honored by King Rajah and the Council of Elders ruling Tarna by being granted time to fulfill it. He sets out with the Hero to the Simbani village to start their efforts, but soon has to return to Tarna because of the great pain caused by his injured leg. Kreesha theorizes that the Demon Wizard is still linked to Rakeesh through the injury and is intensifying the pain to disrupt the peace process. The link also allows the Wizard to spy on Rakeesh whenever he is away from Kreesha's house. Eventually, the Hero, Rakeesh and their allies vanquish the Demon Wizard who is inciting the war, and in the process rescue Reeshaka from the Demon's clutches. Before they can celebrate, however, the Hero is transported away through dark magic. Journey to Silmaria In Quest for Glory V, the Hero arrives in Silmaria, where Rakeesh is helping to oversee the Rites of Rulership that will determine the land's next king. Rakeesh was asked to come by his old friend, Logos, and is discouraged that there is so little he can do (as his fighting days are mostly behind him). Rakeesh, along with Minos, helps coordinate and establish what the Rites of Rulership will involve. He returns some of the Hero's equipment lost when the Hero was brought to Mordavia. Rakeesh's son, Shakra, runs the local magic shop. During the Rites, Rakeesh is poisoned by an assassin, but he is revived thanks to the Hero's efforts and the talents of Salim the dendropheliac apothecary. If the Hero is a Paladin, Rakeesh also prompts him into creating a Ring of Truth. Abilities Throughout his various appearances in the games, Rakeesh demonstrates mystical abilities connected to his status as a Paladin. In Quest for Glory II, he has the ability to make his magical sword, Soulforge, burst into flame. In Quest for Glory III, he uses magical powers to heal his daughter's injuries and, somewhat more mysteriously, has the ability to disintegrate an entire mound of rubble through apparent force of will. Though a formidable fighter, Rakeesh rarely engages in combat during the games, partly because his leg injury hampers his fighting abilities. Despite this, he will accept a sparring challenge in Shapeir in the Guild on day 16. He fights (offscreen) the Earth Elemental in the second game, but his leg prevented him from defeating the magical construct. Alongside Uhura, he battles the Demons in the Lost City in Tarna (also offscreen, go figure). Quotes *''"There is no glory in war...there is only death."'' *''"The way of the Paladin is to seek to know that which truly is. The Paladin strives to learn his own inner nature and that of others. The Paladin does whatever needs to be done to bring light to the world. Not for glory, not for gain, the Paladin Becomes a Paladin because it is his Will."'' Behind the scenes *When Rakeesh is first introduced in the series, during Quest for Glory II, he is referred to as Rasha Rakeesh SahTarna. This usage is the primary spelling in the game and how he appears in the Authorized Guide's QFG2 novelization. However, one of Omar's poems in the game refers to him as Rasha Rakeesh Sah Tarna. *In Quest for Glory 3, his name is shortened to Rakeesh Sah Tarna, and Sah Tarna becomes the common spelling for his name, this is reflected in the QFG3 novel in the Authorized Guide as well. References Category:Liontaur Category:males Category:Paladins Category:Royalty Category:Good guys Category:Liontaurs